Heroes of BAG
by aspiringarchitect
Summary: Everything was normal for Sadie Kane after fighting Apophis until the first day of school, when a new student throws her school life completely off. Piper is starting a new school that finally she and her father both approve of.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I had this idea a while ago. If you read my other story, don't worry, I'll still write that one.**

 **THANK YOU RICK RIORDAN FOR THESE AMAZING CHARACTERS**

* * *

I don't know why I've decided to tell you this story. It's pretty mundane, but you haven't heard from any of us in a while. So here we go…

Sadie Kane here, magician in the House of Life, saviour of the world and blah blah blah. Titles, I don't care much for them. You know who I am, you've listened to mine and Carter's previous recordings. You know my titles, Carter's titles, Amos's, bloody everyone's. But that's fine because that means I don't have to waste my time giving the backstory. Let's get started, shall we?

* * *

I guess it started during summer hols. There was nothing to do. I was bored out of my mind. Carter and the most of the other initiates were playing basketball and video games during their free time, but I hate video games and I much prefer Netball, thank you **(For those who don't know, Netball is like basketball except you can't dribble, can't leave your area and the baskets don't have backboards… It sucks)**. So, yeah, I was probably on the verge of dying of boredom when I decided to call Lacy, my mortal friend from school, and see if she'd like to catch up. Last school year, she'd given me a number to call if I needed her. I punched it into my phone and waited.

After about half a minute, a boy picked up, "Delphi Strawberries, Will speaking, how may I help you?"

"Uh," I said. "I'm sorry, I was given this number by my friend, Lacy. Does she… work with you, or...?"

"Yes, she does. Please hold while I get her." There was a scuffling sound and I heard Will yell, "Nico! Go get Lacy!" There was a short pause, and then, "Because you're the closest!"

I waited another 30 seconds before someone got to the phone. "Hello?" the familiar voice asked, out of breath.

"Hey, Lacy! It's Sadie. Remember you gave me this number if I ever needed you?"

"Oh! Right! Uh, hi Sadie, what's up?"

"Well, I'm really quite bored and I was wondering if you're available to do something later this week."

"Uhhhh," she paused, thinking. "I'm free on the weekend?"

"Brill!" I said. "I'll meet you at the mall! Saturday at twelve by Sephora."

"See you then." And the line went dead.

So, I know what you're thinking, totally normal. That's what I thought until Lacy never showed.

I waited for two hours. I walked around the entire mall twice, wishing I'd brought Walt or Jaz or Cleo or even little Felix with me to keep me company… but then again, I'd been sure Lacy would come. She'd never let me down before.

By the third minute of the second hour, I got fed up. I ripped my phone out of my bag and furiously typed the number.

Nobody answered, but before I hung up, I listened to the answer machine. I don't know why I did, I just felt compelled. A male voice rang into my ear. He sounded wise and old even through the phone. "You've reached Delphi Strawberry Farm, we are unable to take your call right now, please leave a message."

I groaned. I don't know why I called, if she couldn't get to the mall, why would I think she'd be at work?. Maybe she had a family thing. I decided to call on Monday, make sure she was okay.

* * *

And I did. I called on Monday.

"Delphi Strawberries, Will speaking, how may I help you?" It was the same voice, only now, the boy didn't sound nearly as happy. The first time, he'd been upbeat and sounded like he genuinely wanted to help me, now he sounded scared and agitated, as if he needed the call to end so he could get back to something.

"Hey, I called last week. Is Lacy there?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Yes, Lacy's here, but she's... occupied at the moment, I'll have her get back to you." There was a crash and a yell, then the call ended.

 _How rude!_ I thought, to just hang up on me like that. I called again, to give that git, Will, a piece of my mind, but instead I got a robotic voice telling me the number I was calling was disconnected.

At that moment, I think I started to realize something was off, but I didn't focus on that because school was starting in a week and I had other priorities.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ: The timeframe of the actual PJO/KC crossover makes absolutely no sense so let's just say, for this story, that it was BEFORE the Giant War, okay? (I forgot to put this in the first chapter).**

* * *

Piper stared at the brochure she'd gotten from her mother. _Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted_. She'd read the entire thing four times since finding it on her bed in her dad's penthouse apartment in Brooklyn an hour prior. Tristan was filming a movie in the area and was staying close to production. It had been his idea to bring Piper with him, get some time together. That hadn't worked. He came home late every night and was up in the ungodly hours of the morning. Piper never saw him.

There'd been a note attached to the brochure. It now lay on the floor half crumpled. Piper just couldn't make up her mind. It seemed like a good school and she liked the sound of it, plus it was a school for gifted children so her dad would probably approve. But she was in Brooklyn to be with her dad, not go to school - besides, Tristan said he'd get tutors for when the school year started.

She picked up the note:

 _Dear Piper, I know you do not approve of A-list schools, but a few of your siblings go to this particular school and they enjoy it there. I think your father would allow you to enroll, and given your particular talent with words and physical education I believe getting in would be easy for you. Your favourite goddess, Aphrodite_

Piper yelled out in anger. Luckily, she was alone in the apartment. All Piper knew for sure was that she wanted to graduate high school and go to college. She wasn't like Annabeth, who knew exactly what she wanted to do after school, or even Percy, who was considering a career in marine biology. Jason had his job at Camp Jupiter and so did Frank. Hazel was only thirteen but she still had her amazing talent in art, and Leo… Piper choked back a sob. He'd wanted to be a mechanic and run his own auto shop. Piper just didn't know.

 _Maybe this school will help me find a future,_ she thought.

After hours of weighing outcomes, Piper realized there was only one possible route: she was going to _Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted_.

* * *

Hello! Sadie again. Where was I? Ah, yes! First day of school.

It started like any other school day, my alarm clock woke me up, I almost destroyed it and every living thing in the vicinity. I felt better after a shower, and felt amazing dressed in my all cotton clothes and combat boots. I grabbed my pre-packed bag and headed down stairs. I dropped my bag by the front door and went to breakfast.

The other initiates were already there. Carter wasn't, but I guessed he was probably asleep. Lucky git. He doesn't go to school, he homeschools himself.

I sat down in between Jaz and Cleo and we speculated about the new school year: teachers, students, plans to kill Drew (who was, surprisingly, mortal) and classes.

Felix butted in, "Can I come? I wanna kill the monster!"

We laughed. "Unfortunately, Felix," Jaz told him. "She's mortal."

"Aw, man! But I bet penguins will make it look like an accident!" He joked.

We laughed again before getting up to head out for school.

* * *

At the gates, we all parted ways to find our mortal friends. I scanned the crowd for Lacy. She was in a fight with Drew and some girl I didn't recognize. I approached the fight. I heard the new girl yell at Drew, "Let them go! You can't just control people!"

"Oh, hun," Drew sang. "I can do what I want." And she twisted on her heels, swung her hair so it hit the girl in the face, and sauntered away, her posse of 'friends' following at her heels.

"Ugh!" The new girl yelled. "I'm gonna kill her."

"Get in line." I said, walking up. "Sadie Kane, pleased to meet you."

The girl shook my hand, "Piper."

Piper was about sixteen, she had flawless tan skin and her eyes were a kaleidoscope and always changing colours. Her hair was a cinnamon-brown and it looked like she cut it herself. Her jeans were beat up and she was wearing an orange t-shirt with an old, grey sweater half zipped. The t-shirt struck something deep in my mind, but I didn't know what, it just seemed familiar.

"Hey, Sadie." Lacy said. "Look, I'm sorry about Saturday. I got called into... work... and then there was… a small problem."

"Understatement of the millenia." Piper said.

"Oh, do you work at the strawberry farm, too?" I asked.

Piper nodded, "And we go to the same summer camp."

"Cool," I said. The bell rang. "It was nice to meet you, Piper. I'll see you and Lacy at lunch?"

"Definitely." She agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Enjoy! I'm very sorry for the lateness. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Also, it's exam time again… might not be any more for the next two weeks...**

* * *

This next bit is about to sound really fake, but in my classes before lunch, I didn't sleep a wink. I guess I was too excited and nervous to find out more about Piper. I mean, if a girl can stand up to Drew like that, she's got to be cool. Almost as cool as me.

At lunch, I got my food and headed to mine and Lacy's usual table in the dining hall/cafeteria… whatever you want to call it. She was already there with Piper.

I couldn't place it, but I _knew_ I'd seen her face before. Piper just looked really familiar. Maybe I'd seen her at the mall or something.

"Hey," I said, sitting down.

"Hey Sadie." Lacy smiled at me.

A phone buzzed.

I went for my bag but Piper held a hand up, "It's me," she said.

Lacy went pale. "Piper, are you sure-"

"It's fine, Lace," she said. "My dad insisted. And it's just Jason wishing me a good day. And you too."

"Okay, but turn it off!"

"Don't have to tell me twice."

I began to eat my lunch. "So Piper," I said. "Why'd you decide to come to this school?"

"My mom recommended it actually."

"Really?" I was genuinely shocked. No one in their right mind would send their child to BAG. "So, did you just move here?"

"Yeah, I'm here with my dad."

"Oh, what does your dad do?"

Piper and Lacy shared a look. "He's an artist," she said. "He's working on a project."

I nodded. I was getting nowhere. I didn't want to be pushy, but something about Piper felt off to me and I needed to figure out what it was.

"So who's Jason?" I asked.

"My boyfriend," Piper said, her eyes lighting up at the mention of his name. "He's in California right now helping some friends."

Gods, normal people are so boring.

"So, why are you here? What's your talent?" I raised an eyebrow for dramatic effect.

"I'm in advanced Phys. Ed and AP French and English," she smirked, "I guess you could say I have a way with words. You?"

"Dramatic Arts."

The conversation was going nowhere. I was tempted to leave and find Jaz and Cleo, talk about magician stuff. But I stayed.

And it was not the right move.

"Hello again!"

My eyebrows furrowed, nostrils flaring in annoyance. I hate that voice with a passion.

"Drew," Piper said. "What do you want?"

"Now, now, don't be so hostile," Drew scolded. "Mom would want us getting along."

" _Mom_ would want you to leave me alone."

My brain short circuited. Drew and Piper were siblings? _What_?

"Don't be that way," Drew cooed. "We both know that's not true."

"Drew," Piper seethed. " _Go away_."

I got the sudden urge to walk away.

"Calm down, Hon," Drew continued, sliding into the seat across from Piper, next to me. "I just have a quick question for you! You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

"You should really walk away," Piper seethed. Drew's posse took a hesitant step backward. Drew was unaffected.

I stumbled.

"Please, you know you can't control me."

 _Magic_.

"Anyway, my question was about your dad."

I felt it, washing over me, yet not affecting me very much. Normal Mortal commands don't have that kind of power and _feeling_.

" _Drew_ ," Piper warned, getting increasingly more and more angry.

"Yes, how is-" Drew raised her voice about twenty decibels, "- _Tristan McLean_ , doing?"

The dining hall went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on Drew and Piper. Piper was barely holding herself back from strangling Drew.

There were a few gasps.

"Is it true?" a grade eleven girl called from the back.

Drew smiled sweetly. "Why of course it is! Look at her!"

An image from a tabloid magazine I'd once read on the London underground filled my vision. The cover was a photo of famous actor Tristan McLean and a young girl. The title on the page read 'Piper: Tristan's Troubled Teen'. The article had been about Tristan's daughter, _Piper_ , stealing a car.

I became more angry. Piper's face clearly told that she hadn't wanted this information spread, and I understood that. Us Kane's are pretty well-known in the world of magicians.

Drew put her arm on Piper's shoulder. "Can't you see the family resemblance?"

"Oh my God!" A girl screamed.

Piper, who was still glaring daggers at Drew - an extremely terrifying, very intimidating glare, I might add - was suddenly surrounded by students, all asking questions and begging for autographs and photos and stories.

I snatched Piper's hand, grabbed Lacy by the arm and yanked them along with me, out of the cafeteria.

I pulled them into a bathroom and locked the door.

Piper punched a stall door. It flew off its hinges and clattered to the floor. Lacy eyed the door then me, wearily.

"One time!" Piper yelled. "One _thing_ , that Drew doesn't ruin." She looked the the ceiling. "Is that too much to ask?!" she demanded.

Not going to lie, I too have yelled at the sky on occasions, but the behavior seemed both odd and eerily familiar.

When I refocused on Piper and Lacy properly, Piper was washing wickedly sharp, beautifully applied, dark eyeliner wings from her left eye. I didn't remember her wearing any make-up before.

I pushed the thought to the back of my mind; Piper was talking to me.

"-ank you," she said. "For pulling me out of there."

"Don't mention it." I said, waving it off.

"I suppose you want some answers?"

"No," I said. This wasn't _entirely_ true. "We've all got something we don't want anyone to know." I suppressed a knowing smirk.

"I guess." Piper and Lacy shared a look. I was getting tired of those.

"Don't worry," I reassured her. "They'll get over it in about a week."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: That moment when you read the last chapter back and realize you wrote that Sadie 'stumbled' while sitting down… And a refresher: this is AFTER the crossover book and BOO. (Crossover first, then BOO cause the timeline doesn't make sense.)**

* * *

They did. After a week, nobody approached Piper for anything. After a month, the whispering that followed her through the hallways became less noticeable. On Halloween, it ramped up again, with the announcement of Tristan's new movie, but by December, all conversation ceased.

On Christmas break, Piper invited Jason, Lacy, Sadie, and Sadie's older brother Carter over for a Christmas Eve dinner.

Tristan hired the best chefs in Brooklyn before Piper could stop him. But he was excited that she'd made friends at BAG (Sadie had taught her all the proper terms for the school and its students), and was even more excited to meet them. He was also excited to see Jason again.

The night before, Piper and her father sat down for dinner together for the first time in months. There was a light dusting of snow on the balcony, giving a cozy vibe to the inside of the giant apartment.

Tristan had prepared a simple meal, one Grandpa Tom had taught him oh, so long ago. "A family secret recipe!" he'd always said. The entire meal was vegetarian-friendly **(I'm vegetarian too!)** and consisted mostly of fresh vegetables and soft breads. It was Piper's favourite.

"So," Tristan said, swallowing a bite of avocado. "What can I expect from your new friends tomorrow?"

Piper bit her lip. "Well, Lacy's pretty chill. She can get excited, but she's pretty good at staying calm. I don't know about Carter, I haven't met him personally."

"And Sadie?" Tristan asked.

Piper gulped. "She's a bit much sometimes. She'll either ask a lot of questions or stay fairly silent. She has a lot of energy, but she'll be fine."

"And what about Carter and Sadie's parents?" Tristan asked. "Will they be coming?"

"No," Piper said. She'd never asked about Sadie's parents. In the entire school year, she'd never thought to. How strange. It was usually one of the first questions she asked people.

"And Lacy's?"

Piper shook her head. "Her dad has plans." Piper didn't say anything about Lacy's mother. _That_ was not a conversation she wanted to have… _again_.

"And Jason is arriving…?"

"Tomorrow morning." Piper held her excitement in.

They ate in awkward silence. Piper finished and stood up, taking her plate and cutlery to the dishwasher. She carefully put her dishes into the dishwasher and closed it.

"Thanks, Dad," she said. "That was really good."

"Don't you want dessert?" he asked. He sounded a little hurt.

"No thanks, I'm good. I've got a project to work on." This was true, but she also wanted to Iris Message Jason. And Annabeth, who was in Manhattan with Percy's family.

"Okay," Tristan said.

Piper bolted, feeling a little guilty. He'd made a special effort. But she needed to see Jason and make sure Annabeth and Percy were okay.

* * *

Piper entered her bathroom. She turned the sink on full blast and water sprayed every where. She played with the lights and created a rainbow. Piper fished a golden drachma from her pocket.

"O' Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering!" And she tossed the coin through the water spray. It disappeared. Piper smiled. "Show me Jason Grace at Camp Jupiter!"

Jason's face appeared in place of the rainbow. He was in his little 'office', working on something that was blocked by a copy of _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_.

Piper beamed. "Jason!" she called.

He jumped. "Pipes! You scared me!" he said, face breaking into a joyful smile.

"You're finally reading it!" She exclaimed.

"After all your nagging, yes."

She smirked. "Jason, that's the fifth book."

He blushed. "They're good, alright!"

"Trust me, I know."

"I'm all packed," Jason said. "I'm getting on the plane tomorrow morning. I should be there by 1:00 or 2:00."

"I can't wait." Piper squealed.

"Me neither. I've got to finish this, sorry. See you tomorrow!"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Piper put her hand through the image of Jason. Piper pulled out her second coin. "O' Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering!" She repeated the throw, the coin vanished. "Show me Annabeth Chase, Manhattan, Upper East Side!"

The rainbow shimmered. An image of Percy and Annabeth making out came into focus.

Piper clasped a hand over her mouth in surprise, shock and horror. "Annabeth!"

Annabeth and Percy jumped apart. "Piper!" They said together, blushing profusely.

"Heyyyyy…" Annabeth said awkwardly.

Percy put an arm around Annabeth's shoulder. "What's up?" he asked.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that," Piper said.

"Good plan," Annabeth agreed.

They talked for a bit, catching up. They told Piper all about how their school years had been in New York and San Francisco. Piper told them about Drew and Lacy, and somehow, in all the talk about what a pain in the _gluteus_ Drew is, Piper forgot to mention Sadie.

"Oh! By the way, Sally asked us to invite you over for New Years Eve. We're inviting you, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Nico, Will, Tyson, Ella and Reyna. It'll be great! Can you come?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Piper said. "I've gotta go. I have a project. Bye!"

"Bye!" Percy and Annabeth called in unison.

Piper turned off the tap and got ready for bed.

As her head hit the pillow, she slipped into a terrifying dream.

* * *

 **HAPPY CANADA DAY! 150 YEARS!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Did anyone else realize the age difference between Walt and Sadie? 18 to 13. That's** _ **illegal**_ **Rick! WHAT?! THAT'S A GRADE 12 DATING A GRADE 8! THAT IS NOT OKAY**

* * *

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Brooklyn Institute, Carter was being an absolute twat.

I'd been totally ready to go to Piper's for half an hour - to the minute! - when finally Carter came out of his room, in his brilliant outfit: jeans and a white button up, brown loafers on his feet.

"What do you say?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

He mumbled something in gibberish.

"Ahem?" I said.

"Thank you for picking out these clothes," he said, in English.

"That's what I thought."

"Let's just go now, please?"

"Of course, brother dear," I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down the stairs.

* * *

It was six o'clock by the time we arrived at Piper's dad's penthouse. A good fifteen minutes _after_ the agreed time, thanks to Carter. [Stop grumbling!]

I knocked on the door.

From inside, a boy's voice called, "I'll get it!"

And then a, "No! Wait, Ja-"

The door swung wide open, and behind it, a tall, blonde, blue eyed boy, as attractive as myself, grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey!" he said. "Come on in!"

The door opened into a long, well-lit corridor that looked more expensive than Gran and Gramps' entire flat. Piper appeared at the end of it. She ran down the entire length, towards us.

"Jason - hi Sadie, Carter - I told you to help my dad," She scolded.

"He said to get the door!"

Piper sighed. "Fine, fine. Go back, he needs help cutting avocados."

Jason winked at Carter and I, kissed Piper's cheek, and took off down the corridor.

I stepped through the threshold. Carter came in after me.

"So, that's Jason." I said. "Nice."

Piper smiled. "Glad you approve."

She allowed us into her home, took our coats, and led us through the many expensive rooms until we finally reached the living room. A large white sofa cut the room in half. It lay before a large fireplace, full of crackling flames. The rug was simple: a white rectangle with little beige designs, and it covered the wood floor between the sofa and the fire, a glass coffee table completing the look. Behind this beautiful set up, a white grand piano stood independently. The walls were white, and behind the fireplace, an accent wall of stone tied it all together.

The doorbell rang. Piper jumped a little, a barely visible twitch. It was a movement I recognized, a movement I saw in many of our veteran magicians at Brooklyn House and in myself: a little reflex left from always being on your toes.

"That must be Lacy," Piper said. "Make yourselves comfortable while I get her." And she bounded off through the 'apartment'.

Carter sat down gingerly on the expensive couch while I examined the pictures on the mantle; attractive actor Tristan McLean was in five out of the ten, and they all included a familiar smiling face: young Piper, who was probably the cutest little kid I've ever seen. On the back wall hung a professional photograph of baby Piper, award-winning actor Tristan McLean and another man whom I didn't recognize, but he looked enough like the two younger humans in the photo so I figured it must be Piper's grandfather. There were no pictures of a mother or other parent, but I understood why - I'd read about Tristan and his former flings in the magazines, waiting in line at _Sainsbury's_ to buy a single packet of gum. Quite interesting. And Emma had had a huge crush on him back in year 6, so I knew all the gossip from the beginning of his career to then.

Piper came back with Lacy. They'd been talking about something and stopped when they came in.

Jason came out from the kitchen. "Your dad's got everything covered, dinner should be out in ten." He saw Lacy and smiled. "Hey Lace!"

"Hi Jason," she laughed. "How've you been?"

Jason hugged her before answering. "Great, actually. I found a company willing to do the cards and action figures."

"What? Really? That's amazing!" Lacy jumped up and down.

"He had a little help," Piper added.

"Of course I did, Pipes sealed the deal." Jason kissed her.

It felt great seeing my friend happy, but it would've felt better if I'd known what the Dickens they were talking about. Action figures? Cards? And Lacy knew Jason? I stepped over to them and gestured to Carter to get himself over. Jason turned to us with a huge smile. He put out his hand, "Hey, I'm Jason. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Carter said. Jason dwarfed him at 6'1 (Piper told me). "Carter Kane."

"And you must be Sadie," Jason said turning to me. "Piper's told me about you."

I took his hand. "Of course she has, I'm great."

He laughed and draped an arm around Piper. "I like her," he said, pointing to me.

"I knew you would. She reminds me of Leo," Piper said.

"I don't know who this Leo person is, but he must be pretty awesome," I said.

Piper got a wistful look. "Yeah, yeah, he was."

 _Was_ , I noted. _That can't be good_.

Jason squeezed Piper into a hug. Now him and Lacy had that same look on their faces. I guessed what had happened, but I hoped I was wrong.

"Dinner!" Tristan called.

"Coming!" Piper shouted back. "You heard the man, let's eat!"

Everyone filed into the large, well decorated dining room. On silver platters were assortments of meats, vegetables, cheeses, sauces: everything. There was a cornucopia in the middle that spilled tiny christmas trees, christmas crackers: anything that was christmas-y and miniature.

"I thought cornucopias were for Thanksgiving?" I joked. Thanksgiving was only a recent experience for me. We English don't have it. **(Quote from my English friend: We don't need a day, we're thankful everyday.) (Read that super harshly.)**

"Yeah," said Jason. "They usually are, Piper just insisted on it." He leaned towards me, stage whispering, "She has a thing for them."

"I don't!" Piper protested.

"You carried that thing with you _everywhere_."

"It came in handy though, didn't it?" She raised her eyebrows. I got the feeling I was missing some big chunk of the story.

Lacy wasn't; she laughed with them. "Was he really that bad?"

"Yes," Piper said firmly. "He deserved a ham to the head. And those pineapples."

I felt left out. "Well, that summer camp sounds fun."

Piper smirked. "Tons."

"Well," Lacy said. "Not _all_ the time."

"That was like, once," Piper said.

"Once that you were there for," Lacy said, eyes turning sombre. "Twice before." Carter looked to me for an explanation. I shrugged at him.

There was silence.

"Okay," Tristan broke in, clapping his hands. "Who wants cauliflower?"

We all loaded our plates and broke into friendly conversation. We filled Carter, Jason, and Tristan in on BAG and how it was going. Classes, projects, shenanigans. Jason asked about Drew and she was treating Piper after Piper bested her and won the favour of their cabin over the summer. I knew that story. Well, most of it.

"If she's mean to you, I'll break her." Jason threaten.

"I'm sure you would-" Piper started.

"But there's no need," Jason interrupted. "You can handle her easily."

"So, Lacy," Tristan said. "How's your father doing?"

"Good," Lacy said. "He's well. He just got a promotion at work, and the company's doing well. So he told me, at least."

"That's wonderful! And your mother? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her just yet."

Lacy froze for half a second and looked at Piper. "Uh," she stammered. "She's… working a lot. I don't see her much, but she looks out for me. She's just really busy."

"Ah, I understand," Tristan said, taking a bite of ham. "How you, Sadie? Carter? What do your parents do?"

I gulped. I shot Carter a look that said _HELP!_ He received my message loud and clear. He took a deep breath. "Our parents were archaeologists. They met in Egypt studying the pyramids. Our mother passed away - uh - about seven years ago, um, in an accident. Our dad died in the explosion of the British Museum that happened around Christmas time two years ago. It was - uh - shrapnel." Carter finished our perfected story. The happy, Christmas vibe was gone. It was like Carter and I had dropped a grenade on the table and locked the doors.

"I-" Piper choked. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I said. "We've got our uncle, Amos. And - uh - I actually grew up in London with our grandparents."

"That explains the accent," Jason muttered. "Carter, what happened to yours?"

"Oh!" Carter wasn't really used to being the topic of conversation because he was boring and I usually turned to talking onto myself. "Well, my dad and I traveled. I helped him with his studies. I helped his write some of his books."

The mood slowly got less and less gloomy.

"Who is your father?" Tristan asked. "Maybe I've heard of him."

"Julius Kane," I said.

"Oh really?" Tristan asked. "Wow! I used his works on mythology as my research for a movie once. Excellent writer. I've been a fan for a long time. I remember hearing of his death. I'm very sorry."

"Thank you." I said, not knowing what else to say.

"So, where do you live now? Why did you come to Brooklyn?" Jason asked.

Carter took the question. "We live with our uncle, in his little place a few blocks from your school." It was true, there was a little neighborhood close to BAG.

"Do you attend the Brooklyn Academy too, Carter?" Tristan asked. Gods, the dinner was becoming an interrogation, and I could tell Carter was getting uncomfortable. With the initiates, we could just talk about regular things. They all knew our secret already, they share it. With them, we didn't ever need to talk about ourselves. Well, the topic of the amazing Sadie Kane always found a way. I'm just that great.

"Uh, no," Carter said. "I go to the public school on the other side of town."

The butler came in, telling Tristan that the dessert was ready and asking if we were all finished. He took our plates as Tristan got up to fetch the dessert. I was really craving a Sticky Toffee Pudding, but doubted that would be served. Carter seemed relieved for an interruption, the conversation was getting way too personal. I wished it would just go back to inside jokes from camp whatever. Then something struck.

"What is the name of your summer camp?" I asked.

They all froze. "Uh," Jason stammered.

"Camp Ha-Ju-Na*," Piper put in, a little loud. Jason gave her a questioning look, but quickly agreed.

I nodded, but something was off. There was something Piper, Jason, and Lacy were hiding from me. I wanted to know. Then I remembered that I was hiding something from them. But being the detective I am, [Detective! I am _not_ nosey, Carter!] I decided to find out.

* * *

 ***Ha: Half Ju:Jupiter Na: Reyna... Best I could come up with.**

 **My heart goes out to all the victims of the Las Vegas shooting and their families. The terrorist responsible should never have been able to get his hands on such weapons. The United States needs gun control.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:Thank you for your help with ages, I don't know where I got 18 from, wow. ANYWAY I'm sorry this was late, I fell into a Supercorp shaped hole...**

* * *

"Camp Ha-Ju-Na? Where did that come from?"

Piper shrugged. "I combined 'Half-Blood', 'Jupiter', and 'Reyna'. It was the only thing I could think of."

Jason cracked a smile, "You saved our hides."

Piper smirked. "I guess I did."

Jason kissed her. Piper wanted to stay there with him forever.

"Come on," he said, pulling away, "let's get back to the others."

"Nooooo," Piper moaned, falling into Jason's arms. "Let's just stay here."

"Piper," Jason got serious, making Piper pay attention. "I don't know if you saw Sadie's face, but she's suspicious of something and I don't want that thing to be us."

"I hate it when you're right. Luckily it's quite a rare occurrence…"

"Hey!"

* * *

Jason took Piper into the kitchen. After about a minute, I heard Piper's voice: "I thought we were going back into the living room?" she said quite loud, and came running out of the kitchen. She did this laughing hysterically, so she didn't see Lacy and crashed right into her, knocking them both to the floor, which in turn only caused more laughter.

"Gods, Piper! What are we gonna do with you?" Lacy joked, helping her off the floor.

I froze and I saw Carter's head turn so quickly in Lacy and Piper's direction, I could almost feel the whiplash. I couldn't move. _Gods_. Plural. As in more than one. An expression only used by those who know the truth about the gods.

"Sadie?" Piper asked. "Are you okay?"

I snapped out of it, trying to act natural. Maybe I'd heard wrong. "Sorry, I was just thinking about… uh… Felix's penguin obsession?" As hard as I tried, it still sounded like a question. And it was stupid. Felix and his penguins were always floating around in the back of my mind; they are going to get him - and the rest of us - in trouble one day.

"Who's Felix?" Lacy asked.

"Uh…" I stuttered. "My little cousin. Yeah... cousin."

"Oh cool!" Jason said. "How many cousins do you have?"

"Uh…" I looked to Carter who was also quite flustered. Usually, I'm great at lying - I'm in advanced drama at BAG - but having to lie to friends is different: it's unnatural.

"Twenty," Carter said, using the number of initiates at Brooklyn House. "We have twenty cousins."

"Woah," Piper said. "Gods, that's a lot."

There it was again: _gods_. I hadn't heard wrong, I wasn't going mad: there was something going on and it had to do with gods. At least I was in my field.

Lacy snickered. "You say that like we don't have a ton of cousins."

Jason pointed at Lacy, "She has a point."

"Well, Jason has a lot of cousins," Piper pointed out. "Ours don't really count, do they?"

Lacy chuckled, "True, true."

I was about to say something when Tristan called for dessert and we all headed back to the dining room. This time, the conversation was much more mundane and much less depressing. I like talking about myself as much - maybe more than - the next girl, but my parents are a different story. It seemed that was the same for Jason. Poor bloke accidentally mentioned his mother in passing, causing Tristan to ask about her. Seemed the entire table had a parent(s) who was out of the picture.

"So, who do you live with?" I asked, a little curious about this sixteen-year-old seemingly living on his own.

"My dad," he said.

She hid it well, but I saw the momentary look of confusion/terror on Piper's face before she controlled it. Jason was lying.

"Yeah? That's cool. Where?" I asked, desperately trying to get information. The feeling I'd had about being left out when I first met Piper had intensified now.

"He lives in the Long Island Sound area, but right now I'm staying in California with some friends to help with the renovation they're doing."

"How long will you be in New York?"

"I'll be flying back after ringing in the new year. Our good friends are throwing a little party in Manhattan."

I nodded, smiling. Tristan picked up the conversation, making it boring again, and still I had learned nothing. It did make me sad though. I had friends in Manhattan, why hadn't they invited me to a party?

* * *

The rest of the evening passed without anything interesting happening. I was bored out of my mind and felt guilty when I was happy to be leaving. We managed to get lucky with our timing and opened a portal to get home, thankful to get out of the cold.

Once back at Brooklyn House, I crashed onto my bed after barely managing to change into pyjamas.

My sleep didn't last long. At six o'clock sharp, I was woken by several small children jumping on me. The ankle-biters were up.

"It's Christmas!" one yelled.

"Wake up, Sadie!" came another voice.

I forced back a grunt of annoyance and shot out of bed, a smile plastered to my face. I scooped up three little reception **(reception=English equivalent of Kindergarten)** age children and ran out of the room. Carter, Jaz, Cleo, and Walt seemed to have had the same alarm, and also had several small humans attached to them. The kids all ran to the tree, and I took the opportunity to kiss Walt good morning.

"Happy Christmas," I said against his lips.

"You're cute, but you're wrong," he said.

I pulled away and raised an eyebrow.

He kissed me and said, "It's _Merry_ Christmas. You English and your madness." **(I don't understand why people make such a big deal of this tiny difference)**

"You're lucky you're a god." I threatened, but I don't think he was very scared. "Shall we?" I gestured to the chaos that was beginning downstairs.

"Somebody needs to save Carter and Jaz," he agreed and he took me by the hand and ran into the mess.

All the presents under the giant tree were quickly opened and the kids dispersed, leaving us to clean it up. Not that that was anything new. We celebrate all the holidays at Brooklyn House, at least all the ones our initiates celebrated before they came to us. The usual order is Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and we've all educated ourselves on each holiday. It's not much, but it's our family and all families have traditions.

I was sitting on the couch with Walt watching Shelly playing with her new Doctor Who (an interest I very much supported) action figure when my phone went off.

 _Annabeth Chase: Merry Christmas, Sadie (and Carter)! I hope you're doing well! Percy and I wish you the happiest of holidays from the Greek side! Hope to see you soon! Xx_

I smiled at the note. I'd known Annabeth for a short time, but when you save the world and have your mind blown to smithereens with the revelation that there are other gods out there together, you bond pretty fast. I considered her and Percy Jackson good friends. I shot back a quick reply and jumped off the couch as the kettle started screaming. Tea in hand, I felt like a million pounds.

* * *

Piper woke on the floor of the Jackson-Blofis apartment with a smile on her face. It was fairly quiet in Percy's bedroom considering how many people were in it. The arrangement was as follows: Percy and Annabeth together on his bed, Piper and Jason on a mattress on the floor and Frank and Hazel in separate sleeping bags that Piper strongly suspected were Frank's based solely on the fact that one was the Canadian Flag ('The Maple Leaf' as Piper had learned), and the other had 'We The North' written across it. Nico and Will would be up by midday from Camp, Thalia was crashing on the couch, and Reyna was on her way via Pegasus.

Piper smiled at Jason's sleeping face. She loved to see him so at peace (at least, when he wasn't snoring), without the weight of so much so visibly on his shoulders. She looked around; Hazel and Frank were still asleep. They were holding hands and Piper found that so ridiculously innocent and adorable she couldn't help but grab a picture.

Percy and Annabeth were already awake, even at seven o'clock in the morning, but it was expected: they may sleep better together, but it's never undisturbed. It was Piper's only wish ever for them to have some release, some peace, even just one night, where they weren't haunted by _that place_.

There was laughter coming from the kitchen. Piper got up carefully and crept out of the room, taking great care not to wake her fellow Chosen Ones. From her new position in the living room, Piper could clearly see what was a family moment, so she hung back. Estelle, Percy's baby sister, was in her highchair giggling with Annabeth, who was kneeling to feed little girl her baby food. Paul was putting up various decorations while Percy was helping his mom, Sally - the sweetest woman to ever walk the Earth, with the blue pancakes she was making (Percy still hadn't revealed to her what was up with the colour), and he kept glancing lovingly over his shoulder at Annabeth. Piper, being the daughter of a love goddess, could practically hear the wedding bells already. It wouldn't be for a while, but it was imminent. She hoped she and Hazel would get to be bridesmaids - Thalia would obviously be the maid of honour. Grover would for sure be Percy's best man. They deserved happiness more than anyone else, and Piper hoped they knew she was always there for them.

Estelle shrieked with laughter as she hit the spoon Annabeth was holding and the purée splattered all over Annabeth's face. Piper slapped a hand over her mouth at Annabeth's shocked expression. Then Percy was next to them, trying to hide his smile long enough to tell his baby sister that that wasn't okay.

"Stella," he chided. "What did we say about throwing food?"

His calm tone was met with carrot flying at his face. Percy spluttered and Sally swooped over to pick up her daughter, Paul jumping over to the pancakes. It was mechanical the way they moved, Sally and Paul, always making sure everyone was loved and fed and _happy_.

"Come here, my beautiful girl," Paul cooed as Sally returned to the stove. Paul sat at the table with Estelle in his lap and pulled out her bottle.

"Yeah," Percy said, taking Annabeth by the hands and pulling her to her feet. "Come here, my beautiful girl."

Annabeth's face was lit up in a smile. A mischievous smile, Piper thought. With one hand, Annabeth grabbed Percy's collar and pulled him down slowly, wiping her face with the other. When Percy's lips were just two centimeters away from her own, she reached up and slathered the carrot purée all over her boyfriend's face.

He sighed. "I should've seen that coming."

"Never let your enemy distract you, Seaweed Brain."

He shook his head with a smile. Piper saw him notice her standing there. He winked. _Uh oh_ , Piper thought. Without hesitation, Percy pulled Annabeth in for a kiss. Piper watched in horrified fascination as his free hand snaked around Annabeth's waist to the baby food container on the high chair. Her brought it above her head and made to pour it. Quicker than she could blink, Percy was on the floor, baby food jar being held upside down above his face. Annabeth had judo-flipped him.

Piper couldn't help it, she burst out laughing along with the rest of the family.

Percy did get his revenge, though. He grabbed Annabeth's face in his hands, looking completely love-struck, pulled her down… and rubbed his carrot coated face all over hers. She was powerless to stop it (though Piper suspected she didn't try very hard based on how she was howling with laughter). Percy got his revenge, and a kiss.

That was basically how the rest of the night was: the group ending the new year with pure happiness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: A message - My laptop is broken. I'm writing on my school Chromebook which I have been trying not to do as much as possible. Updates will have a ton of time between them because of school taking priority. Also I'm making up the timeline for adding ToA and MC.**

* * *

Piper and Lacy were impossibly nice, as always, but it was hard for me not to just try and kidnap them and hold them illegally until they spilled all their secrets. Very hard. But it was starting to seem like my only option.

About 3 months into the new year, Piper and Lacy left school mysteriously for a week, and I saw my chance; if I wanted them to talk, I'd have to get them to start asking questions about me.

In the dining hall, I dropped a plate. "Oh Set!'

I tripped in the corridor. "Gods damn."

I told them about my 75% on my maths test. "Oh my gods, I can't believe it!"

I pulled Jaz and Cleo over for the first time all year. "We need to go. Something's happened. Carter's there."

My excuses got worse and worse. "My fish fell in the river. They just found it."

"My brother got arrested."

"Penguins on the loose."

"Carter's had a run-in with the police."

"I need to bail Jaz out of jail." (Jaz was sitting two chairs away.)

"My fish died."

"I got a new fish."

"Felix threw my fish in the river."

And my personal favourite: the time I saw a helicopter labeled _Air Tours_ coming across the sky and said, "Shit, they found me," and proceeded to run off.

It is safe to say I succeeded. After two weeks of this, I could see the curiosity starting to build.

It took another two weeks for them to snap, and it was much scarier than I'd ever imagined.

Piper invited me over one Friday night for a sleepover with her and Lacy. Her dad was beginning filming that morning and wouldn't be home until the Sunday, so Piper didn't want to be alone. I agreed right away, wanting time to ask subtle questions and also because weekends with the initiates are insane.

I got to Piper's around half-six **(6:30)**.

"It's open!"

I opened the door and let myself in. The apartment seemed different, like I'd missed something the last time I'd been there. I heard voices from upstairs. Figuring that's where the other two were, I climbed the stairs and followed the voices. The door to Piper's bedroom was cracked open. I slipped through the door, not making a sound. That wasn't on purpose, just when you fight monsters and take care of little kids, you get good at sneaking around.

I stared at the state of Piper's room. It was cleaner than mine, with only one pile of clothes peeking out from under the bed. There were pictures of her and Jason on a bulletin board above a desk. There was a drawing of a different boy looking away from the camera, out over the ocean, standing on the deck of a ship. It was signed _Hazel_ in fancy script. There was a photo of a bronze dragon gleaming in the sunlight, another of a tree, high up atop a hill, standing tall, keeping watch, a shape curled around it and a bright light shining from within the leaves. It was serene. Before I could look at any of the many other photos - they were all group shots - something caught my eye. The light streaming in from Piper's window was reflecting off of something.

A gold knife. I cautiously picked it up, dropping my bag and pillow on the floor. I could see my reflection tinted in gold, as if I'd been touched by Midas himself. Gold-me winked and I jumped back, dropping the dagger on the floor. It clattered against the silence. That was when I realized Piper had stopped talking. I turned slowly.

Piper stood alone in the doorframe of her ensuite bathroom.

"Heyyyy," I said awkwardly. "I - uh - thought I heard you up here so I came to find you and Lacy- Where is Lacy?"

"She's not here yet." Piper said. She stooped down to pick up the dagger and swiftly sheathed it, putting into the drawer of the bedside table, out of Sadie's view.

"Oh," I said. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"I was on the phone."

"That's a nice knife. Looks pretty old."

Piper smiled. "Thanks. A friend gave it to me."

Lacy's voice rang out from downstairs. "Hello?"

Piper went to greet her, and as I followed, I saw Piper's phone laying across the room, off, unused, and collecting dust.

* * *

We watched movies, ate popcorn, gossiped, the usual. I told them stories about Walt, Piper told stories about Jason.

"Gods," I said. "Walt gives me a heart attack, honest. The amount of times he's almost died."

"Mm, yeah I hear you," Piper said, nodding. "Jason's always getting himself into trouble. Sometimes I wonder how he's still breathing."

"Right?!"

"One time, Jason decided to jump off a cliff with my friend Hazel who's really good at illusions. So he falls off this cliff into the mouth of this giant t-" Piper cleared her throat. "Giant shark. Turns out he hadn't jumped at all; him and Hazel had made a plan by themselves to do that. I was so pissed."

"Walt was really sick for a while, but he still always insisted on pushing himself. Gods, it was awful."

Lacy sighed. "Sometimes I wish the gods would give them more sense."

Piper chuckled, "The gods don't _give_ anything."

"Amen," I muttered.

"So Sadie," Piper said, turning to me. "How long have you and Walt been together? You don't really talk about him much."

I considered for a second my response. "Walt's a complicated guy." _Understatement_. "We've been together almost a year, I guess. It's hard to say." Technically, I'd had this thing with Anubis before I met Walt, but now they were one-in-the-same.

"I get it," Piper said.

Lacy burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"Oh, shut up, Lace." Piper smacked her in the arm.

"Come on, Pipes, it's funny!" Lacy looked at me. "It's honestly the best story, how they met."

"Shut up!"

"Well, now I'm intrigued. Do tell."

"Jason had a bought of amnesia and woke up about 2 months into our relationship."

"Yikes," I cringed. In a second, a fact I had learned and repressed months ago smashed right into my face and wouldn't leave me alone. When Piper and I had first met, she'd been arguing with Drew. I'd forgotten about Drew; she'd been leaving us alone lately. But the problem was this conversation that popped right back into my brain from deep in the abyss where I had shoved it: Drew and Piper were half-siblings.

I needed a way to work that into conversation.

"How about we get into our pajamas?" Lacy suggested.

It was a million times more comfortable. Piper had also grabbed her phone and dusted it off. She'd also turned it on. It buzzed.

Piper growled upon reading the notification. She said, "Drew's being a tyrant again."

Now was my chance. "Am I wrong in thinking that you guys are related?"

"Don't remind me," Piper grumbled.

"The worst sister," Lacy agreed.

That threw my for a loop. "Wait, Lacy?"

The two girls froze. I wanted to yell in triumph: finally I was getting somewhere. Piper, Lacy, and Drew were all connected.

"You guys are sisters?" I demanded.

Piper bit her lip. "Um."

"Why didn't you tell me? Wait, what?" The puzzle I thought I'd solved suddenly dumped a million more pieces right onto my head. I remembered Tristan McLean asking about Lacy's parents, her awkward response, the way the conversation was diverted right away, the look of sudden panic on Piper's face.

"It's complicated."

"To Osiris with that!" I yelled. "Gods, why didn't you guys tell me?"

"It's too much." Piper shook her head. "Another day."

"I-"

As if the gods were watching and making her life difficult on purpose, Piper's phone went off.

She wasted no time in putting it to her ear. "Hey- woah slow down."

I trained my ears on the conversation that would finally build the edges of my million-piece puzzle.

Piper shouted into the phone, "Annabeth, slow down!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hi y'all, so sorry about the lateness of everything and just my absence in general. I just finished school, then I had a big basketball tournament and I'm getting ready for this music thing in the UK… basically, I'm under a ton of stress right now. Don't worry if you don't hear from me in weeks - I** _ **will**_ **finish this. And Order of the Gods… maybe.**

* * *

Annabeth paced back and forth in front of the venue. Here she was, in Boston, having just found her long-lost cousin, only for him to die in the care of her uncle. _Gods_ , her life was messed up. Not only did her cousin die - she was pretty sure Magnus took a fire-ball to the stomach and fell off a bridge, but the footage was of terrible quality - but then he'd stood in front of her and talked to her, told her that he was alive. There was only one possible explanation: Magnus was a demigod.

Annabeth should've been feeling betrayed, shocked, annoyed, _angry_ even. But she didn't feel any of those things. Instead, she felt relief. There was someone else like her in her family, her _biological_ family.

Annabeth whipped out her phone and dialed Percy - well, Percy's landline in his apartment.

" _Hi, you've reached the Jackson-Blofis residence_ ," said Percy's voice. " _Please leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can_."

Annabeth slammed the _end call_ button. She needed to talk to someone, anyone. Percy would be preferred, but there was someone else Annabeth could reach.

As soon as Piper picked up, Annabeth launched into her story.

"Piper, thank the gods. Listen, I think my cousin is a demigod, but I have no idea what to do, I mean, like, should I bring him to Camp? Should I leave him in Boston? He just died-"

"Woah, slow down." Piper sounded at ease and relaxed and Annabeth realized she probably just interrupted Piper's Friday night, but she just had too much going on in her head.

"Piper, he just _died_. I mean, well, he didn't because I just talked to him, but he fell of a bridge after getting hit by a ball of fire - I think - and only a demigod would even have a _chance_ of surviving that, but I just- he- I- I don't know what to do. What if I bring him to Camp and he can't get through, or he-"

Piper's voice pierced through Annabeth's head, "Annabeth, slow down!"

"Right, sorry."

"Just give me a sec." Piper had clearly covered the microphone to address someone. She heard Piper excuse herself. "Lacy says hi. What happened? Since when do you have a cousin?"

"Since my dad is one of three kids," Annabeth snaps. "Sorry, sorry, only Percy knows that. I got to Boston with my dad a couple days ago, and we were looking for my cousin, Magnus, but then my dad's brother got to him first. Long story short, he died, but when I went to the funeral home, he was there, alive and well."

"Oh my gods." Piper sighed loudly into the receiver. "Gods, I- Are you okay?"

"Not really, but I think he's a demigod."

Someone called for Piper from her side. Annabeth imagined her pulling the phone only slightly away from her face before yelling, "Yeah I'll be right there, the money's on the counter!"

"Sorry, am I interrupting? What did you say about Lacy?"

"No, no, it's fine, the pizza just arrived. Lacy says 'hi', is all."

"I've gotta go," Annabeth said, quickly. "Tell Lacy I say 'hi' back."

"No, wait, Annabeth, really it's fine-"

"I'll see you soon."

Annabeth hung up the phone and ran off into the city.

* * *

Piper stood up abruptly and left the room. I was vaguely aware of Lacy yelling to Piper to say hi for her. I was frozen. My heart pounded in my throat.

 _Calm down, Sadie,_ I told myself. _Anna's a common name, Beth is a common name. Just how rare is Annabeth? There could be hundreds in New York- millions on the planet. Don't jump to conclusions._

I steadied myself and made to follow Piper, but before I could, the doorbell rang and Lacy grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the front door.

"Piper!" Lacy yelled. "The pizza's here, you coming?"

Piper shouted back about the money and Lacy shot off to get her food; a woman on a mission. But I had a mission of my own. I crept down the stairs, following Piper's voice.

"-Lacy says 'hi', is all," Piper was saying. I stood in the doorway of the living room. "No, wait, Annabeth, it's fine… I-" Piper pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it. I realized the person she'd been talking to had hung up.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Piper jumped, a hand going to her waist instinctively. "Hera, Sadie! You scared the nectar out of me."

"One, gross," I said. "And two, is everything alright? It sounded like whoever you were talking to was pretty worked up."

"Yeah everything's fine. Annabeth just got a little overwhelmed, I guess."

I tried my hardest not to flinch at the name. When I'd met Annabeth, she'd seemed a little _overwhelmed_ at the prospect of the Egyptian gods being real, too. It's not an easy thing, learning everything you once believed is wrong, incorrect, a lie. It was then that I realized that I really just wanted to prove myself wrong- I really just wanted Piper and Lacy to be normal girls.

"Annabeth," I said. "That's a nice name."

"Yeah, it is."

"Is it common, in America?" Okay, yeah; I played the Brit Card, but one must play the hand they've been dealt. Besides, it gets you information quick.

"I don't know. She's the only Annabeth I know."

And what were the odds that Her Annabeth and my Annabeth were the same person? I didn't even want to think about it.

Luckily, I didn't have to, because right then, Lacy called from the kitchen, "Guys! The pizza is getting cold!"

"C'mon," Piper said, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Let's go."

* * *

I said earlier that that night was scarier than I ever imagined. Well, strap in, because we're about to hit that point in the story.

After convincing myself that Piper _must_ know a different Annabeth, that Annabeth must be a common name in the US and not the UK, the night went quite smoothly. I abandoned my quest for information: friends can have secrets. I mean, it would only make me the biggest hypocrite on the planet.

We played games, watched movies, but the night ended in a little Never Have I Ever - a well-loved game among the older initiates - and I would only realize later just how much potentially damning information I revealed during the game.

Lacy got me to say my weapons preference, "Never have I ever… owned a knife."

Piper put a finger down.

"I prefer a staff," I said, admiring my four digits still standing.

Piper got my martial arts abilities. "Never have I ever been beaten by a sibling in sparring."

Lacy sulked, and her and I both put a finger down.

"It's not my fault Carter's the better fighter, it was kind of decided for us. He trained all over the world with my dad!"

The question that made me lose was Lacy's, and it was directed at Piper. "Never have I ever… had to concede food to Annabeth."

"I'm out," I said. "I gave her my bloody Ribena." **(Ribena is disgusting, by the way.)**

Piper stared at me. "You know Annabeth?"

"I know _an_ Annabeth. It's probably not the same person."

"Right," Piper said.

Lacy ended up winning the game, but then fell asleep in the middle of _Disney's Mulan_. I recommended _Hercules_ , but was met with violent protest, Lacy and Piper claiming it is the worst Disney movie in the history of Disney movies. I still think they're wrong, but… whatever. [Carter stop telling me it's inaccurate- _I know_! That doesn't change the fact that it's a good movie… _I don't care if you can't watch it!_ Give me back the mic!]

When the credits of _Mulan_ began to roll, I held up _Hercules_.

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"Because it's inaccurate, not to mention he's an A-hole."

"Who is?"

"Uh," Piper stammered. "Zeus! I mean, have you read myths?"

Outside, lightning crackled through the sky, causing a burst of thunder so loud it shook the house.

"Huh, I thought they were calling for clear skies all night," I said, looking out the window. The moon was bright, and there were no clouds, no sign of a source of the intense lightning strike I'd just witnessed.

"Yeah," Piper said. "Weird." She scratched the side of her head and played with a lock of dark brown hair. "I think it's time for bed now, eh?"

"I thought 'eh' was a Canadian thing?" I asked, climbing into my sleeping bag on the living room floor.

"I have a friend from British Columbia."

"Where?"

Piper chuckled, turning out the lights. "Canada. Goodnight, Sadie."

"Night."

Piper was asleep instantly, but I stayed awake. I couldn't bring my special pillow-thing that prevents my _ba_ from leaving my body permanently, so it was dangerous for me to fall asleep. Instead, I just prayed to the gods - Egyptian and Greek - that the two sleeping girls beside me were normal.

A voice giggled inside my head. _Oh, dear. You have no idea._


End file.
